Cape-collar



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. N. E. POWERS.

CAPE COLLAR. No. 408,848. Patented Aug 18, 1889.

MT/MESSZS JAWTBWZZ N. PETERS. Phnla-Lilhagnphur, Wuahington, D. C.

2 t e e h s s t e e h 2 S R m. E L 0 P H E .0 N m d 0 M O No. 408,848. Patented Au 13. 1889 rBIG WIT/V55 558- )4 r. OICZ a. ram Wt. w-ww. u. c

UNITED STATES NOEL E. POWERS,

PATENT OFFICE.

lVILBU R, OF TROY, NEXV YORK.

CAPE-COLLAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,848, dated. August 13,1889. I Application filed April 11, 1889. Serial No. 306,788. (No model.)

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOEL E. POWERS, a resident of Lansingburg, in the county of Reusselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cape- Collars and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

My invention relates to improvements in cape-collars; and it consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan View of the cape detached from the collar proper and laid out flat. Fig. 2 is a similar View of the cape attached to the collar proper. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation, upon an enlarged scale, of the completed collar, showing the relative position of its parts while in use upon the neck of the wearer. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the outer or face side of the collar proper as it would appear when laid out fiat before the cape is attached. Fig. 5 is a crosssection of the detached cape, taken on the broken line an 0c in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a crosssection of the collar completed, taken on the broken line 00 5c in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a crosssection of the unfinished collar proper, taken 011 the broken line so 00 in Fig. 4:.

The cross-sectional views are somewhat exaggerated in form and size for convenience in illustration.

The collar proper may be of any known form of ladys collar, made up of two or more plies of fabric, but having one ply wider than the collar proper, so that it projects below the lower edge of such collar.

As generally constructed, the capes of capecollars are made of a single ply of fabric, a large part of which is worn in contact with the person, for the reason that ladies undergarments are frequently or generally cutlownecked and without neck-bands.

The capes serve to retain the collar in proper position upon the neck, and are made to flare or project angularly to the collar proper to better fit the form of the wearer. It is very desirable to re-enforce the cape-ply along the edge by which it is united to the collar proper to increase its strength and durability; also, to cover the seam by which the cape is joined to the collar proper to prevent its chafing and irritating the neck of the wearer. I am able to cover this scam, and at the same time employ the seam-cover to re-cnforce the cape, by extending one of the plies of the collar proper down below its lower edge and spring-stitching the same onto the eape-body. The capes of cape-collars are made to flare or project angularly to the collar proper by giving the inner edge of the capes a curved or concave form and securing that edge to a comparatively straight edge on the lower part of the collar proper. The angle of projection depends upon the degree of curvature of the curved edge. The sharper the curve the nearer will the angle of projection approach that of a right angle.

A is the cape, which may have a bindingstrip A around its outer edge. Its inner edge is cut to form a sharp curve described by the circular line A The collar proper B is shown formed of three plies B, B and B. The plies B and B are turned in at their upper edge and all three plies secured together by aline of stitching B". The ply B is made wider than the other plies to form an extended or capedapping portion 13*, which is provided with a plurality of notches B and has its projecting or cape-lapping edges finish-folded, as shown at B The 'inner curved edge of the cape is then inserted between the lower folded-in edges of ply B and ply B,as shown in Fig, 6, and secured therein by the line of stitching B The cape-lapping ply 13 the lower edge of which is approximately straight, is then spring-stitched, as hereinafter more fully explained, to the body part of the cape by the line of stitching B, and when desired the several plies of the body part may be additionally secured by a line of stitching B The circular broken line C in Fig. 1 represents approximately the lower or outerboundary line of the part of the cape which is inserted between the plies of the collar proper. The broken lines J represent the outlines of the finish-folded edges of the notched cape-lapping ply of the collar proper as the same appears after being springstitched to the body of the cape upon its under side by the line of stitching B.

The foregoing general description is sullieient to enable any one skilled in the art to make my improved collar when it is understood what I mean by the term springstitched. I apply such term to a straightedge lapping ply, and mean that such a ply is stitched along its lapping edges by a curved line of stitching upon a lapped curvededge ply in such a manner that the straight and curved edges of the lapping plies are made substantially parallel with the curved line of stitching and with each other.

It will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the cape-lapping edge represented by the broken line C of the extended ply of the collar proper, which was straight, as shown in Fig. 4-, is curved and parallel to the lower edge of the collar proper, and therefore to the inner curved edge of the cape; also, that the arcs of circles represented by the broken lines C have a larger radius than the are of a circle described by the outline of the collar proper, as seen in Fig. 2, and that the inner edge of the cape as cut from the fabric and shown in Fig. 1 has a sharper curve than it has after it has been secured to the collar proper and after the finish-folded edge 13, which was straight, has been stitched upon it, as shown in Fig.

As the straight finish-folded cape-lapping edge is guided by the sewing-machine operator to insert the curved line of stitching B" substantially parallel with the inner curved edge of the cape, the cape-lapping edge is slightly stretched or sprung and the capebody slightly fulled, so that the resulting curves in the lines of stitching and parallel edges are less sharp than the curve described by the inner edge of the detached cape when. laid out flat, as shown in Fig. 1. The cape being made of a single ply of flexible yielding material, the parts assume a smooth appearance when laundered or pressed, a large degree of the curvature of the cape-edge being imparted to the once-straight cape-lapping edges. It would be impracticable to spring-stitch the cape-lappin g edge the whole length of the collar without two or more slits or notches B therein, as the fabric could not conveniently be given the necessary spring to produce a smooth surface; but the insertion of a plurality of notches divides the lapping portion of the ply into comparatively short sections, which can be separately and quickly springstitched to the cape.

A cape-collar so made will, when uncon strained, occupy about the position shownv in Fig. 2, the curved edge of the cape, the capclapping edge, and the curved line of stitching being all substantially parallel with each other, and the cape n'ojeeting almost rigl tangularly from the collar proper, as shown in Fig. 6; but when the ends of the collar are brought together, as in use, and as shown n Fig. 3 and indicated by the broken line C' 111 Fig. 2, the outer edge of the cape is forced downward in the rear to about the angle represented by the line 0 and in front to about the angle represented by the line (1 in Fig. 3, the manner and causes of which ehangein position are well known an d understood by those skilled in the art of making cape-collars. Such a shape causes the cape when in use to lit the form of the wearerjand affords a comfortable means of securing the collar upon her neck. By re-enforcin g the cape at its junction XVI til the collar proper and for a considerable dis tance into the body of the cape I not only strengthen the cape, so that it is not so likely to be ripped from the collar proper, but the reenforced part does not easily ruflie up in use and present sharper edges to irritate the person of the wearer. By extending a ply of the collar proper to effect such re-enforcement 1 am able at the same time to cover the seam which unites the cape and collar proper, thereby presenting a smooth comfortable surface at every point on the collar. 1 am able to accomplish these results with very little expense, as the extended ply of the collar proper can as easily be finish folded for stitching upon the cape-body as upon the edges of the cape and other collar plies 1n the manner heretofore practiced. Very little additional labor is required to notch the capelapping edge, as only two or three notches are required when the straight-edge cape-lapping ply is spring-stitched to the cape-body, as l have described.

When I employ the term straight-edge lapping ply I do not wish to be understood as limiting the form of the ply to one having its edge absolutely straight, as any of the well-known forms of ply used in the manufacture of ladies collars may be employed.

The plies may be slightly curved, as shown by the curved broken lines (1 in Fig. at.

\Vhen desired, the cape may be made of several pieces, as indicated by the broken lines C in Fig. 1..

I do not wish to be limited by the term finish-folded to any particular method of finishing the edge. Any known method may be employed, or the edge may be left unfinished as it is cut from the fabric, when desired.

I do not wish to be limited to any particular form of notch 13", the essential .l'eature being the division of the cape-lapping ply into sections by reducing the width of such ply between the sections. 011 the 17th day of June, 1889, an application for United. States Letters Patent covering the method of making the cape-collar herein shown and described was filed by me and given the Serial No. 314,55i.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A cape-collar consisting of the collar proper formed of a plurality of approximately 5 straight-edge plies, one of which plies extends below the bottom edge of such collar proper, and the cape formed of a ply of fabric having its inner edge concaved or curved, all of said plies being fastened together by a line :0 of stitching along the lower straight edge of the collar proper and the inner curved edge of the cape, the extended collar-ply lapping the cape and having its lapping portion notched and secured to the cape-body by a line of stitching along the edge of the lapping 15 ply, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of April, 1889.

c NOEL E. POWERS. WVitnesses:

GEo. A. MosHER, W. H. HOLLISTER, Jr. 

